The Betrothal
by sol-li
Summary: A mysterious demon follows Miroku back to the village, intent on confronting Inuyasha. But the demon has a strange reason for wanting to find him -- and that reason might tear their group apart.
1. The Betrothal Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

x.

He was still waiting. It had been three long days since the monk had passed this spot, heading toward a secluded monastery in the mountains. He should be returning from his purifications soon.

It had taken him months to track down the monk and his comrades, especially the half-demon Inuyasha. For some reason, the group rarely stayed in one place, but roamed around without any visible pattern. What was more, they rarely stayed more than a day or two in one place before pushing on to the next village or demonic lair...

Then his scarlet eyes widened. A human male was coming down the path, with a straw rain hat pulled over his face. He might be the monk -- he was wearing long dark clothing. It could easily be a monk's habit the man was wearing... if only he would look up, so his face would be revealed...

x.

"Three days," Miroku murmured. "Three days at a cleansing retreat...."

The handsome monk sighed wearily, leaning on his staff for a moment. Three days spent with only other monks, trying to purify his spirit. Kaede had suggested it, since Kagome had a math test on the other side of the well and the group was stranded there for the moment. Inuyasha acidly had said that his spirit could use some purifying. And somehow Miroku had found himself being ushered off to the mountain monastery.

It wasn't as easy as it sounded. It shamed him to admit it, but he spent most of the retreat waiting to return to the village. He missed being around women -- beautiful young ones. In particular, he missed being around Sango all the time. It was strange how keenly he felt her absence, whenever they spent more than a day apart....

And now, on top of it all, it was raining on him. Miroku sighed wearily. Perhaps walking in this rain is for my thoughts during that retreat, he thought. Or I just have terribly bad luck.

Suddenly he heard a snapping noise in the underbrush. He tilted up the straw hat to see better. But there was no one there that he could see.

Miroku's eyes narrowed, and he gripped his staff tighter. There were bandits out in the mountains who often took travellers unawares, and left them either dead or stripped of their valuables. Except for a string of coppers, Miroku didn't have anything valuable on him. And he didn't like the idea of being killed by a disappointed footpad.

"Who's there?" he called.

There was another rustle. Miroku moved a step closer, raising his staff higher. "Who is there?" he repeated. "If you back away now, I won't harm you."

There was another sharp rustle, and the sound of something scurrying away. Miroku rapidly slashed apart the bushes -- and saw only a tangle of twigs, old birds' nests and leaves. He frowned, poking at the ground. It was packed down in places, as if someone had been standing there. And the shaft of his staff caught on something stuck in the loose twigs.

"What the-" Miroku muttered. He tugged his stick loose, and something glittering came with it, still tangled around the staff. It was a small golden pendant on a chain of some sort, with a pale stone in the middle. It seemed to be quite finely crafted. Miroku was a fair judge of such things -- having, in the past, cleaned out such valuables from manors -- and he was impressed by the delicacy of its craftmanship.

"Quite strange," he murmured, slipping it into his robe. "But this will make a fine gift for Sango."

Feeling a bit better, he turned and began walking briskly down the muddy road that led to Kaede's village. The rain had died away a little, and the sun was beginning to shine once more through the thick haze of clouds. Ah yes, Miroku thought benevolently. In a few hours, it will be simply beautiful...

From a distance, another person watched the monk as he departed, then began to follow at a distance. He smiled slightly, relieved that he had found a member of Inuyasha's band of followers -- one who could lead him to the half-demon himself.

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. The Betrothal Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

x.

Kagome swung her legs over the lip of the well, feeling the backpack tugging her backwards. "Ugh!" she grunted, landing on the grass. "Gets... a little heavier every time I pack it." She had broken the straps on at least one other backpack, and she could feel this one straining.

A scented breeze was blowing down from the meadows as she walked back to Kaede's village. The girl smiled slightly. We're always so busy fighting Naraku, it's nice to just be able to stop and smell the flowers once in a while, she thought. I wonder why Inuyasha didn't come to pick me up, though.

She walked quickly down the forest paths, humming softly to herself. Little streams of smoke were rising above the trees, from the direction of the village, and she could hear the voices of the farmers in the fields. It was all so peaceful, no one would have thought that anything was wrong.

As she rounded a cluster of trees, she saw a flash of red and white. "Inuyasha!" she called.

The half demon paused and looked back at her. Kagome thought for a moment that he had a spear or stick over his shoulders, but as she ran toward him, she saw that a bucket of water was hung from each end. "What are you doing?" she said breathlessly.

"Gettin' water for the old crone," Inuyasha grumbled. "I made the mistake of lookin' bored in front of her house."

Kagome smiled. "Well, that was perfect timing. Let's walk back to the village together."

Inuyasha somewhat grudgingly agreed. "So," he said gruffly. "How'd your thing go?"

"You mean my test?"

"Yeah, that."

"Not so great," Kagome said. Her spirits began to sink, despite the beautiful day. "I didn't even understand half the questions." She sighed wearily. "I probably am going to totally flunk the next one."

"Why can't ya just take some time off?" Inuyasha shifted the pole higher on his shoulder. "A year or two shouldn't hurt too much."

Kagome sighed again. "Anyway, I guess we should get going again. Are the others ready to leave?"

"Not yet. Miroku isn't back yet."

"Back from where?"

"He's been off on some monk retreat." Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. "Kaede said that it might do him some good to go purify his soul. There ain't enough retreats in the world to do that -- I bet he spent the whole time thinking about girls."

"Well, just so long as he didn't grope any," Kagome said brightly, "then Sango probably won't be mad."

They had reached Kaede's small house on the outskirts of the village, near the steps that led to a small shrine. Inuyasha grunted slightly as he set down the buckets, then rubbed his shoulder. "I hope he gets back soon," he mumbled. "I smell demons in the air, but not too close yet."

Kagome tensed, glancing around at the peaceful little village, with the wives watching little children, and chickens running underfoot. A dog barked at one of the farmers. "I don't sense any jewel shards," she said slowly.

"Still, I'm getting a bad feeling," Inuyasha said through his teeth. "The sooner we get out of here, the better. We've got a lot of work to do, tests and retreats be damned."

"I guess so," Kagome said faintly. She knew what Inuyasha meant -- she had a strange twisted-up feeling deep in her stomach. She wasn't sure what it meant, but the feeling was making her a bit sick. Could it mean Naraku was on the move? Or perhaps Inuyasha's brother Sesshomaru? No, it wasn't either of those...

Suddenly there was a commotion on the far end of the village. Kagome clutched Inuyasha's sleeve as a voice faintly called, "A demon! A demon!"

"I knew it," Inuyasha said grimly. He drew Tetsusaiga and started running toward the commotion, with Kagome only a few steps behind him.

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. The Betrothal Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

x.

"Sango?"

Sango heard Miroku before she saw him. She paused in polishing her boomerang with a wax-covered cloth, and glanced back at the monk coming toward her. He was smiling confidently, in a way that Sango hadn't seem him do before. The edge of his robe was stained by mud, and his hair was ruffled by wind, but he looked happy.

Strange, Sango thought. After three days surrounded by men, I expected him to look a bit less satisfied. She sighed. Maybe he met some girls on the road.

She took a final swipe over the surface of her boomerang, then straightened up. She had agreed with Kaede when the old priestess had advised Miroku to go on this retreat. Kaede had said calmly that Miroku might benefit from a little spiritual purification. Sango had agreed with her, as had Inuyasha. She had tried not to notice how hurt Miroku looked when she had agreed with Kaede.

Although, Sango had to admit the past few days had been a little boring. Inuyasha spent much of his time grumping in Kagome's absence, so he wasn't very good company. Without Miroku, things seemed... dull. Her life had been full of excitement and action since she had turned eleven, and her father had brought her along on one of the extermination trips. Staying in a village, tending to her weapons and helping Kaede clean seemed a little... well... tedious.

It didn't hurt his spirits to be away from me, she thought, a little disgruntled.

"Sango, close your eyes," Miroku said, still smiling.

"Close my eyes?" Sango asked, forgetting her irritation.

His smile widened. "Yes, close them. I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Sango repeated. She crossed her arms sternly. "You're not going to grope me, are you?"

Miroku laughed, fumbling inside his sleeve. "No no, no no no. Just do as I say -- I promise you'll like it."

Sango closed her eyes.

"Hold out your hands."

Sango obeyed, and felt something small and cold being dropped into her fingers. She opened her eyes, and gasped. Miroku's gift was a small, intricate golden necklace set with a little pale stone. Sango had never seen anything like it in her village, but she knew from experience with princesses and noblewomen that it was incredibly valuable.

"M-Miroku," she stammered. "W-where.... how... did you..."

"I didn't steal it, if that's what you were wondering," Miroku quickly said. "On the contrary, I found it in the woods. I'm not sure how it got there, but I thought to myself that it would be a perfect..."

Sango felt a small stab of guilt. She had been wondering that -- but then again, she thought, who could blame me? Miroku was a wandering monk, without home or much money. What little he had was their group's, with Miroku taking care of food and lodgings every now and then, and gathering rewards for demons she or Inuyasha killed. But he had no way of getting his hands on a necklace like this -- except by stealing it, or by pure luck.

"Th-thank you," she stammered. "I-I don't know what to say."

Miroku smiled again, and stepped closer. "Just knowing that you like it is enough," he said smoothly, putting a hand on her shoulder. As his hand started to slip down, Sango was looping the necklace around her throat -- until...

"Demon! A demon!"

Miroku's un-monklike thoughts fled as he heard one of the villagers shouting. "Sango, come on!" he shouted, sweeping past the demon-slayer. With the necklace already around her slender throat, Sango ran after him, with her boomerang raised over her head. In a tiny corner of her mind, she couldn't help thinking, Another perfect moment lost!

x.

"Outta my way!" Inuyasha bellowed, shrugging past the frightened villagers. They parted for him, with mothers clutching their children and farmers brandishing rusted scythes. Kagome ran just behind him, clutching her backpack like a shield. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and held it in front of him, ready to cut down anything that charged.

Then Kagome gasped. She had expected a monster, but this was... an eight-legged horse?

The horse whinnied shrilly, kicking up the ground with its eight hooves. It moved fluidly, like a spider, always with at least four feet on the ground. And its scarlet eyes glared around suspiciously at the villagers.

On its back was a demon -- one of the relatively human-looking ones. He had a tight, stern face with a hawk-like nose, and a faint reddish tint to his skin. Kagome could see that he had pointed ears, a tall black hat, and what looked like blunted claws on his fingers, although with reins in his hands, it was hard to tell. He was dressed with a richness that took Kagome's breath away -- his clothes were pale and richly embroidered, a bit like Sesshomaru's.

"Tell me who the hell you are!" Inuyasha snarled.

The demon dismounted smoothly. Then he bowed deeply, to gasps from the villagers. He was bowing to.... Inuyasha? "Lord Inuyasha, I presume," the demon said in a smooth, deep voice. "I have been searching for a long while to locate you. You are the very image of your noble father, even as... high-spirited," he added, glancing at Tetsusaiga.

"I'll say it again, nicely," Inuyasha said tensely. "Who the hell are you? And what do you want with me?"

"It's about the marriage-"

"You got the wrong guy, pal." Inuyasha stuck Tetsusaiga in the ground and leaned on it. "'Cause I ain't married."

The demon's narrow eyes grew narrower. "I misspoke, my lord. Rather, it is about your betrothal to Princess Rakura."

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. The Betrothal Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

x.

A cold wind swept through the village, and seemed to take sound with it. All eyes slowly moved from the demon to Inuyasha, and quite a few village women gasped in shock. A murmur of "can't be so" ran through the farmers. The half-demon hadn't moved since the announcement. Then, he slowly stepped forward.

"Buh... buh..." he stammered.

"Betrothal" the demon supplied helpfully. His narrow eyes grew narrower as he looked Inuyasha over, at the plain red clothing and slightly wild silver hair. "While you are not quite as I imagined you would be, I am sure that you will meet the princess's expectations, when a sufficient amount of... polish has been bestowed."

"W-wh-what the hell" Inuyasha said, almost speechless. "Just who the hell are you, and what the hell do you want with me"

"Forgive me" the demon said, bowing slightly. "My name is Rukusin, and I am the loyal vassal of Princess"

"You keep prattlin' on about this princess" Inuyasha erupted. "Just who the hell is she"

The demon's smooth, unruffled demeanor did not change, even with Inuyasha bellowing in his face. He began to speak, almost like a recording, as if he had it memorized"A beautiful and exquisite daughter of the mighty Fire-Demon clan, an ancient and noble family who were once allies of your lamented late father. Princess Rakura is the youngest, and the most lovely." He smiled slightly. "But then again, you know all of this already, young lord."

"NO I DO NOT" Inuyasha roared.

He wheeled around to look at his friends. Shippo, Sango and Miroku were all staring at him with the same wide-eyed, stunned expression, like mice with a bright light in their eyes. Just a few steps away Kagome had turned white as a sheet, and was starting to look a little wobbly.

"K-Kagome" he said quickly. "You gotta believe me - it's all a lie, I swear! I've never even seen this princess..."

"Then how come this guy claims you're engaged to her" Shippo piped up, from behind Kagome's leg.

Inuyasha could feel his eye starting to twitch as he looked around at his friends. Everyone, including the villagers, was staring at him in disbelief. This is a nightmare, he thought. I can't believe this - who the hell is this guy, and what does he want?

Then he heard a soft laugh from behind him. Rukusin was chuckling under his breath. "I would be surprised if you had seen the princess recently. Your last meeting with her was when you were a child of but six months. As you were too young to wed at that time, and the princess was already grown, you were left to grow to manhood undisturbed."

"In other words" Miroku muttered to Sango"they left him without resources until they wanted him to marry."

A ripple ran through the villagers at this news. "What" Inuyasha said slowly. "Are you telling me that I got engaged to this girl when I was only a BABY"

Rukusin's outward calmness cracked slightly. For the first time, he looked uneasy, maybe even a little nervous. "Weren't you... aware of this, young Lord Inuyasha" he said slowly. "I would have thought that one of your father's loyal retainers would have informed you of this betrothal."

A very strange, slightly insane look came into Inuyasha's eyes. With almost unnatural calm, he sheathed Tetsusaiga and folded his hands into his sleeves. "Excuse me, everyone" he said in a low voice. "I have a lying, despicable little flea to murder. Don't wait up for me."

The villagers parted to let him pass, and his friends watched as he walked toward Kaede's house. Still feeling a little shellshocked, Kagome ran a hand over her head. "Do you think we should stop him" she asked in a small voice.

"No, I rather think not" Miroku said.

x.

Myoga the flea was perched on the priestess's window sill, happily picking shreds of fish from a tiny bowl, with a tiny pair of chopsticks. "Ah, this is the life" he said happily. "Regular food, peaceful village, no dangerous demons in the area..."

"Think again" an ominous voice said quietly.

A pair of clawed fingers snatched Myoga up before he had a chance to flee, and he found himself, his bowl and his chopsticks dangling helplessly in front of Inuyasha's gleaming golden eyes. "Tell me something, Myoga" he said in a low voice. "Does the name Rukusin mean anything to you"

"N-no" the flea stammered helplessly. "S-should it"

"How about Rakura"

Myoga seemed to shrivel slightly. "Oh."

"And why didn't I hear about this before" Inuyasha said ominously, through his teeth. "Because you pretty obviously knew all about it, didn't you"

"Well, um, you see, I, er, was going to tell you" Myoga babbled, waving his four arms wildly. "But you see, I, um, it was never exactly the ideal time, so I was waiting for the, for the right moment to tell you about"

"THE RIGHT MOMENT" Inuyasha said incredulously. "You never bothered to tell me I had a fiancee"

"Well, now that you do know" Myoga said in a false attempt at brightness, whipping out a pair of miniscule fans"On to the wedding! I hope you will have many happy years to"

He smashed into the wall before he could finish his sentence.

TO BE CONTINUED


	5. The Betrothal Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

x.

"That does it! I have had enough of this stupid-"

"But it... it isn't my fault-"

"You say that every time! You do this to me over and over, and I've FINALLY had enough of you! Get out!"

"B-But-"

"GET OUT!"

The two raised voices were practically shaking the walls of Kaede's house. Miroku sighed heavily, slumping back on the steps that led to the shrine. Now was NOT the time for those two to bicker. Things were getting worse by the minute, and Miroku had the uncomfortable feeling that they would be worse before they improved.

Suddenly the elderly priestess emerged from a nearby side street, puffing slightly. "Miroku!" she called breathlessly. "I heard the news. One of the children said that Kagome is angered with Inuyasha..."

An angry voice shouted, "This is the end, you got that? THE END!" from inside the hut.

Miroku smiled slightly. "Not exactly." He glanced over at the doorway to Kaede's home; Kagome was sitting placidly on a low bench, staring at her feet. Sango and Shippo were sitting beside her. "I'd say that Inuyasha is breaking up with Myoga."

Kaede looked somewhat relieved. "I see. Then, what of the rumor that Inuyasha is betrothed?"

"It's not a rumor, I'm afraid," Miroku said grimly. "A demon arrived and told him so. It was a great shock to us all - especially to him. Apparently only Myoga knew, and he never told Inuyasha."

He glanced over at Rukusin, who was standing solemnly near the entrance of Kaede's hut, with his arms folded. The demon hadn't said a word since Inuyasha had stomped off to confront the flea, but he was looking a little disturbed at the racket coming from inside. Miroku winced as he heard something shatter.

"I wasn't aware that he had not been told," Rukusin said suddenly. "Had I known, I would surely have broken the news to him more gently."

"Very understandable," Miroku said, standing up and brushing himself off. "But what is going on here? Would you tell us how Inuyasha came to be betrothed in the first place."

"Very well." Rukusin took a deep breath. "The noble Fire Demon clan has been a powerful force in this land for many thousands of years. They were also the enemies of young Lord Inuyasha's father. Many years ago, their rivalry came to a head, and the Fire Demons threatened to consume all of the lands surrounding them.

"The great dog-demon had no intention of letting the noble Fire Demons make good on their threat. And the noble Fire Demons knew well that if they fulfilled their threat, he would use his mighty power to destroy them all. In the end, such a conflict would benefit no one. Yet neither would back away.

"And so, a solution was proposed. A truce was made between them, and to seal that pact, the youngest son of the great dog-demon was promised in marriage to the youngest daughter of the Fire Demon clan. Princess Rakura was already a woman grown by that time, while young Lord Inuyasha was only a baby."

"Were you aware that he is only half demon?" Miroku interjected.

"Yes, of course," Rukusin said, looking mildly insulted. "However... unfortunate his heritage, what matters is that he is his father's youngest son. That is all that is needed to complete the pact. Had Princess Rakura been younger, they might have been wed at once, and then raised apart for a time. But since she was already grown, it was decided that a betrothal would be arranged instead, and that she would wait for the time when Inuyasha would be ready for marriage. That time is now, and the princess awaits his arrival."

Kagome felt something in her chest tighten. Inuyasha, she thought. Inuyasha...

Kaede smiled dryly. "Ye may not find Inuyasha as... malleable as ye think."

Kagome started as Inuyasha stormed out of the hut, looking flushed and angry. A gasping Myoga was pressed between two of his claws. "We need to talk," he said tensely.

TO BE CONTINUED 


	6. The Betrothal Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

x.

"You're nuts," Inuyasha snarled. "There is no way I'm marrying her."

"But milord-"

"Not going to. And that's the end of it, you disgusting little... flea." Inuyasha turned his back on Myoga, gritting his teeth. "I can't believe you'd hide something like that from me. Do you think I'm gonna marry someone just because it was arranged sixty years ago? Why should I?"

"Because your father arranged it! It is your duty to-"

"Big whoop! My dad's been dead for a real long time. Why would he care now if I get married at all, let alone to this fire-demon girl."

"You shouldn't be so stubborn about all this!" Myoga exploded, leaping up into the air and waving his four tiny arms. "After all, it's not like you're in any position to be picky about women-"

A moment later, he soared out the window, wailing piteously. Inuyasha waited for the cries to end, then stalked outside, determined to deal with this mess once and for all.

x.

Kagome felt her heard thud a little with shout from inside the hut. When Inuyasha was just speaking, she could only make out the sound of his voice; when he shouted, she could hear everything. Myoga was yelling, from the sound of it, calling him ungrateful or stubborn or something.

It was ridiculous, the idea of Inuyasha going off to marry that fire-demon princess Rakura. Absurd. Really, really dumb. But... Kagome kept wondering, thinking about what that might mean for Inuyasha. Was he tempted at all, to be in a place where no one would dare to mock him, and where he would be secure and maybe even able to assault Naraku with strong allies? He had struggled for so many years, always homeless and always alone.

He'd never do that, Kagome thought. But it still felt like she was trying to convince herself.

It was one thing to know he loved Kikyo. She had been his first love, he loved her still, and he wanted to protect her desperately. But it was a shock to find out he had technically been engaged all this time. And those arranged marriages were usually followed up on, she thought. Unless there was a good reason not to...

If Rukusin and Myoga convinced Inuyasha to go through with the marriage... could the others really argue against it? Kagome wasn't sure if it would be something good for him or not, but she knew one thing - she desperately wanted him not to go through with it.

Then suddenly Kaede's hut fell silent. And Inuyasha stepped out, grim-faced. "Rukusin!" he shouted.

The demon came forward, hands folded. "I grant that Myoga has told you everything, Lord Inuyasha?"

"Oh yeah, he told me plenty," Inuyasha said ominously.

Rukusin smiled slightly. "Then it will be my very great pleasure to offer you this, as a token of goodwill from your future family." He pulled a small enameled cask from under his cloak, and twisted off the top of it.

Kagome gasped. Inside the cask was a tangle of gems and golden chains - a small fortune, carried around like a bundle of daikon. It spilled out with a clatter at Inuyasha's feet, almost burying him up to the ankles in gold. The young demon just glared down at the heap of gold, as if he had been insulted.

Miroku stared in disbelief, and Sango put a hand to her throat. The necklace Miroku had given her looked like it was from that pile. She glanced over at him, but saw that he was as stunned as she was. Rukusin must have dropped this, she thought.

"Merely a small token, of course," Rukusin added quickly.

"You weren't listening, pal," Inuyasha growled. "Myoga told me about this whole arranged marriage thing. It's just too bad you came for nothin'."

Rukusin stopped smiling. Now he looked simply bewildered. "Nothing?"

"Nothing. I ain't going to marry the princess. Tell her I'm sorry, but I ain't going to do it."

Kagome felt as if Inuyasha had just yanked the weight of a mountain from her shoulders. Rukusin, on the other hand, was still staring blankly at the younger demon. It had clearly never occurred to him that Inuyasha might not go along with the arranged marriage. "But... but whyever not?" he asked finally.

"'Cause I don't want to," Inuyasha said bluntly.

"Your noble lord father-"

"My father is dead, and has been for a long time," Inuyasha snapped. "And where he is, it ain't going to help him if I get married to Princess Rakura. So there's no reason for me to do it." He crossed his arms stubbornly.

Rukusin seemed almost to wilt as Inuyasha stepped out of the heap of gold and gems. He looked so stunned and discouraged that Kagome almost felt sorry for him. But then the demon quickly regained his composure, and watched as Inuyasha stalked off into the woods, kicking a few small trinkets off of his pants.

Miroku and Sango looked at each other and shrugged. "I suppose that's that," Miroku said calmly.

"Yep. Nobody makes Inuyasha do anything he doesn't want to," Sango agreed.

Kagome smiled a little. But she had the uneasy feeling that their business with Rukusin and Princess Rakura was far from over.

TO BE CONTINUED


	7. The Betrothal Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

x.

"Inuyasha," Kaede said soberly, "have ye thought this over carefully?"

Inuyasha stopped his pacing and stared at her in disbelief. "Whaddaya mean?" he exploded. "You WANT me to get married?"

"No, I do not," the old priestess said, taking a small sip of her tea. Inuyasha had spent most of the morning flinging himself around her small house, ranting about Myoga, Rukusin, and his arranged marriage. It was all a little too garbled for Kaede to really understand, but the gist of it seemed to be that he was enraged by it all, and there was nothing they could do to make him go along with it.

"Then what?" The young demon crouched down in front of her, with his fists resting on the floor.

"Have some tea," Kaede said, offering him a cup.

"Don't want tea. What is it?"

"I know that ye are determined not to agree to this marriage. But ye must be careful."

"Careful of what? They can't make me do nothin' I don't wanna do."

"I understand that," Kaede said, staring at her tea. "However, there are other ways besides force that they may use to coerce ye into marriage."

"What?" Inuyasha looked genuinely disturbed for the first time. "Like what?"

Kaede's lined face grew grim. "Merely be careful, Inuyasha. And keep a close eye on Kagome and the others."

x.

The night sky was brushed by a gentle breeze. The sight of the stars sent a pleasant shiver down Kagome's spine without fog or pollution, the sky was so clear and transparent that the stars seemed to be slowly sinking down toward her. Whenever she went forward in time, she always found herself shocked by how distant the stars were.

Suddenly a bowl appeared in front of her face. "Here," Inuyasha said gruffly, setting it down beside her.

"Uh, thank you," Kagome said quickly.

Inuyasha sat down beside her and rested his own bowl on his knees. "It's hot, though. Don't eat it yet or you'll burn your tongue," he said, a little less gruffly.

"Thanks." Kagome picked up a leaf and began fanning her stew.

An awkward silence fell, broken only by the sound of Miroku and Sango talking with Kaede inside the house. Inuyasha's ears pricked slightly, but they were talking about something other than him. He sighed and rested his head on the wall behind him.

"I was really worried, you know," Kagome said suddenly.

"Huh?" Inuyasha started. "What? What were you worried about?"

"I thought..." Kagome hesitated. "I was... kind of afraid that you were going to go with Rukusin."

Inuyasha stared at her. "You... WHAT?"

Kagome looked down. "It's just that... I know your life has been really hard. So even though I knew it wouldn't be the sort of thing you would do, I was afraid... that you might be willing to go marry Rakura anyway."

"Where the HELL did you get that stupid idea from?" Inuyasha exploded, jumping to his feet.

"I just said I-"

"You think I'd just drop everybody, and the hunt for Naraku, just because of some princess I ain't seen since I was a baby? You think I'd sell everyone out just for the good life?"

"Of course not," Kagome said, flushing.

"Good." Inuyasha sat down heavily. "Then don't think anything that STUPID again. There ain't no way I'd just leave you behind because of some princess, no matter how pretty or rich she is. And I'm not gonna. That's the end of it!"

He began gulping down his stew almost defiantly. Kagome smiled a little. No matter how rough he was about it, she knew that he meant it nicely. And it was a relief for Kagome to hear him say out loud that he wasn't even tempted by marriage to Rakura. She began eating her stew as well, enjoying the sight of the stars, and the sound of Inuyasha wolfing down his food.

Suddenly they both stiffened. A familiar voice was calling, and Kagome saw a flash of red and black over the treetops, coming toward them.

"Damn." Inuyasha tossed away the bowl. "It's Rukusin."

TO BE CONTINUED


	8. The Betrothal Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

x.

"Do you enjoy torturing me, or is that just a hobby for you?" Inuyasha snapped.

Rukusin looked rather disheveled; his face was slightly discoloured around the edges, and his hat was askew. "Lord Inuyasha," he said wearily, "I assure you with all honesty that I am not causing you any trouble on purpose-"

"Then how come you keep showin' up?" Inuyasha said, crossing his arms. "I already told you my answer, and you took back all your gold. So why do you keep comin' back?"

"Because your refusal cannot be... accepted," Rukusin said awkwardly. He flinched back slightly, as if expecting Inuyasha to lunge forward and bite him.

Sango and Miroku came out of Kaede's brightly-lit hut, still clutching their bowls of stew. The monk came closer, with Shippo clinging to his shoulder. "Rukusin," he said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I have come to persuade Lord Inuyasha to return to the Fire-Demon Clan with me, and be wed to Princess Rakura," Rukusin said, with the flat voice of one who doesn't want to be saying what he is actually saying. He folded his thin hands into his wide sleeves.

Miroku began to speak in his "reasonable" voice, as if speaking to a recalcitrant child. "Perhaps you are unaware of this, but I haven't seen anyone 'persuade' Inuyasha to do anything he didn't want to do."

"Damn straight," Inuyasha grumbled.

Rukusin looked even more discouraged. Kagome almost felt sorry for him. "I am authorized to offer Lord Inuyasha anything he might desire, if he will return with me and wed the princess," he began again.

"What I want is none of your business, and I don't think you could give me anything I wanted anyway," Inuyasha snarled. "So you might as well get lost. You can't bribe me, and you can't persuade me just by followin' me around."

Rukusin began fumbling around inside his ornate, voluminous robe. "And so you do not honor the wishes of your illustrious father, the great dog-demon of the west?"

"If it means marryin' the princess, then I don't," Inuyasha said, turning his back. "Like me gettin' married will help my dad at all."

Rukusin looked vaguely shocked at the idea of Inuyasha not caring about his father's wishes. But he finally produced a roll of paper and held it out to Inuyasha. Since the half-demon's back was still turned, Miroku took the scroll instead, and began to read it. His brow furrowed deeply. "Mmmm," he murmured.

"What is that?" Kagome asked.

"It's on very fine quality paper," Sango chimed in.

"It is the betrothal contract entered into many years ago, when Lord Inuyasha was an innocent babe in arms," Rukusin said formally. He seemed deeply satisfied by the contract and its presence, as if it would make Inuyasha immediately give in.

"Hah!" Inuyasha said, his eyes blazing. "You think that little scrap of paper makes the slightest difference to ME?" He snatched the scroll from Miroku and stared at it. "It don't make any difference at all! If you think a few signatures are gonna make any difference-"

"That is not all the contract contains," Rukusin said, sounding offended. "It contains the precise strictures of your betrothal and the treaty that your marriage is destined to seal. What is more, the contract solidified the-"

"Would you GET LOST!" Inuyasha brandished the scroll like a sword.

"Inuyasha, calm down!" Kagome said.

Inuyasha fumed for a moment. Rukusin chose this moment to bow and retreat to his eight-legged steed. As the horse rode off into the air, the retainer called over his shoulder, "Lord Inuyasha, please examine the contract in detail. It proves that it is a true betrothal, and once that must be honored if dire consequences are not to follow." He vanished into the treetops.

Inuyasha was clutching the contract so tightly that his claws were digging into it. "Slimy bastard," he muttered. Without looking at the monk, he held the scroll out to Miroku. "Here, Miroku. We gotta find some kind of loophole in the contract so I can get outta this without a mess."

Kagome lingered outside the door, looking up at the place where Rukusin had gone. She wasn't sure what he had meant by "dire consequences," but she had the feeling that things were about to get very sticky.

TO BE CONTINUED


	9. The Betrothal Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

x.

"My lord." Rukusin bowed until his forehead was firmly pressed against the ground. "I have done as you asked."

His master was all but invisible in the shadows of the trees, except for a pair of narrow, glowing eyes. "Very well, Rukusin," a smooth voice said. "And Inuyasha took the contract with his own hands?"

Rukusin broke into a sweat. "Took" was a somewhat gentle term for how Inuyasha had used that contract. "Y-yes, my lord. He accepted the contract with his own hands, although he still denies that he will have to go through with its terms."

"Bah. Accepting the contract practically means acceptance." The form of Rukusin's master drifted out from the trees. He was still in shadow, but now the retainer could make out his faintly glowing shoes, and the long braid of hair whipping around his lean shoulders. "Besides, I know Inuyasha's type, and I know how to deal with him if he decides to get stubborn. He'll wed my sister before the month is out."

Rukusin felt uneasy, thinking about the war of wills that was sure to ensue. "But my lord, I think that you do not know how determined he is..." he said hesitantly.

The fire demon chuckled. "And I don't think he knows how determined we are."

x.

"Sango?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think about this betrothal business of Inuyasha's?" Kagome took a sip of her tea, but it only made her stomach twist up more.

Sango thought for a moment. "Well, it really isn't his fault, is it? Although it would almost be easier if it were. Then we would know who to blame."

"I know," Kagome sighed. "I'm just glad he won't do it. For a little while, I was really afraid that he'd decide to go off with Rukusin and marry the princess. But he says he won't, ever."

"I didn't know you could do that," Sango said thoughtfully. "Just decide not to do it, that is. I've never heard of it happening that way."

"Were you ever betrothed?"

Sango smiled a little sadly. "No. Father thought it was more important for me to be a strong slayer than a wife, at least for the time being. Besides, there weren't many villages nearby." She paused, nibbling on her rice. "What about you?"

"Uh-uh," Kagome said. "People don't get betrothed in my time. Well, not very often. I suppose it happens occasionally, but I've never met anyone who actually was betrothed when they were a baby."

"It must be much simpler in your time," Sango said. Then a thought struck her. "Hey, speaking of your time... why doesn't Inuyasha just spend some time in your home, and lay low for awhile? The fire demons couldn't possibly follow him through the well."

"That might work," Kagome said glumly. "But not in the long term. Once Inuyasha came back to fight Naraku, the fire demons would start pestering him to marry the princess again."

"That's true," Sango said, deflated. "Well, at least Miroku is studying the contract."

The reed screen was pushed aside, and Kaede came inside. Her one eye watched the two girls by the fireside, and she asked, "Where be Inuyasha?"

"I think he wanted to be by himself for a little while," Kagome said. She stared into her rice bowl. "He was really upset when Rukusin showed up again, and I think he wants to hide."

"And the young monk?"

"He's studying the contract," Sango volunteered. Swallowing the last of her fish stew, she set down her bowl and carefully set down the chopsticks. "I'll go see how he's doing."

Kagome sighed, still staring at her half-full bowl. Her stomach was hurting from all the stress, and Inuyasha hadn't shown up all evening. She decided that even if he wanted to be alone, she was going to go find him.

TO BE CONTINUED


End file.
